Photography: Elly Blue
Age: 39. Realtor.
You’re one of Portland’s bicycling real estate agents. What does that mean?
I mainly do what other realtors do, but with more emphasis on the transportation component. I work primarily with people who are cyclists and use public transportation. Most of my clients are either car-free or are trying to drive less.
How did you first make the bicycling-real estate connection?
Around the time I got into real estate in 2006, my husband convinced me to ride my bike more. I got to thinking there were probably people like me who wanted to ride more and would appreciate someone who could help them make home buying decisions around that. I started doing bike tours of homes in the summer of 2008, at the peak of high gas prices.
How’s it all working for you?
Last year I nearly doubled my business – in the worst real estate market that we’ve had in recent memory.
How do you get around?
I ride a Sweetpea; it’s a custom hand-built bike by Natalie Ramsland. It’s really special. I worked with Natalie to buy her first house and she’s an inspirational person to me.
What’s your favorite thing about bicycling in Portland?
Bike boulevards. Learning about them and actually using them gave me so much confidence. A lot of people aren’t aware of them. I wouldn’t have thought that I could ever feel safe and happy riding all over the city like I have been able to.
What’s your least favorite thing?
There’s still room for improvement. I’m a middle aged mom who’s slightly overweight and I think there are a lot of people like me who are afraid to ride their bikes on a regular basis. The more we can do to create safe passage for people like me, with my kids and my groceries, the better off we’ll be.
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